Sam Tomkins, British rugby league's most high-profile player, is deadly
serious about beating France, but is happy to hide behind laughter in the
build-up.

As rugby league’s world record signing and the highest profile player in the British game, Sam Tomkins could probably be excused the odd moment of self-satisfied brashness. But he sticks resolutely to his line in self-deprecation.

With the world’s media keen to get his thoughts on returning to his former club Wigan for Saturday night’s World Cup quarter-final against France, a game that is expected to be only a minor hurdle on the way to a mouth-watering semi-final clash with holders New Zealand at Wembley next Saturday, Tomkins insisted that his pet chihuahua Keith, as well as his older brother Joel, have been stealing his limelight and the affections of his friends and family.

The England full-back, who joins New Zealand Warriors after the tournament for a world record fee in the region of £700,000, revealed that he is leaving Keith in Wigan because he doesn’t think he could handle the journey to Auckland.

“He gets more press than I do,” he said. “I had plenty of offers to look after him but my mum is going to adopt him for a few years until I can have him back.” Older brother Joel, who makes his third successive appearance for England’s rugby union team at Twickenham on Saturday, is proving a trickier problem.

“My family and friends are all union fans now. I don’t think I’ll prise my dad back,” he laughed. “I think he’s watching Joel too much. I don’t ask anymore if they are going to watch me, it gets embarrassing.”

There was also a quip about DW Stadium owner Dave Whelan possibly fining him if he stole any of the turf he has graced for the last few years as a memento.

All good knockabout stuff from the most polished and publicity-savvy player in the England camp, but behind the jokes there is a steeliness and a professionalism that his Wigan and England bosses all admit make him a dream to coach.

Tomkins is deadly serious about dispatching France on Saturday night and then going on to help England be crowned world champions for the first time in 41 years, in the final at Old Trafford on Nov 30. He said: “England won last year’s tournament against France and Wales but that didn’t mean a lot. England needs a major trophy and there isn’t anything bigger than the World Cup. This means a massive amount to us.”

France go into the game as underdogs but Tomkins warned: “France have got a lot of Catalan players in the squad who play together week-in week-out so they have the benefit of a ready-made team.”